Chapter 69 - 69: Tanabata Festival Invitation

At seven in the evening, Haru arrived at the police station alone. Yukino had initially planned to come with him, but midway through, a call from Haruno pulled her away. Since Haru had contacted them in advance, the officer assigned to meet him was Officer Yuto. As the two of them walked through the precinct, they inevitably attracted curious glances from the other officers. Outside the interrogation room, Officer Yuto asked considerately, "Do you need me to clear the surveillance room?" There were cameras inside, of course. He wasn't sure if Haru wanted to keep things off the record, but he felt it was better to ask upfront. "No need," Haru replied with a smile. "I just want to have a little chat." "Well, without your mask, he won't recognize you." "I know." Seeing Haru's confidence, Officer Yuto didn't press further. Instead, he handed him a mask. "Even though this place is secure, and he's already in deep trouble, I'd still recommend wearing this." Once again, Haru was impressed by the Officer's meticulous thoughtfulness. Slipping on the mask, he stepped into the room as the heavy door swung open. Inside, a familiar figure came into view. Compared to the fierce, arrogant man who had led an ambush that night, Koga now looked utterly miserable—deep, dark circles under his eyes, disheveled hair, an unshaven face. Clearly, the courteous police questioning had taken its toll. Dressed casually, Haru took a seat across from him. Koga scowled, his tone hostile. "Who the hell are you? A psychiatrist? Or is this some new tactic those bastards cooked up?" "No, I'm just here to talk," Haru replied, altering his voice slightly. He wasn't a professional voice actor, but after years in this world, surrounded by classmates who could effortlessly switch between different tones, he had picked up a trick or two. Of course, he drew the line at the kind of exaggerated, high-pitched "anime boy" voices that barely-legal teenagers tended to force out. Since Koga had heard his real voice that night, Haru couldn't be sure whether he had committed it to memory. Better to avoid any unnecessary trouble. Koga snorted. "Hah. Those cops must be desperate if they sent a kid like you." He slammed his cuffed hands against the metal table with a loud thud, his gaze shifting toward the camera. "I've told you people a hundred times already—aside from leading that little brawl, I had nothing to do with any of the other crimes. And I didn't even lay a hand on anyone that night! What the hell gives you the right to keep me locked up like this?" "You don't seem to be in the best mental state," Haru remarked, studying the man's unkempt appearance. He could guess what had happened. Officer Yuto must have intensified his methods behind the scenes. After all, Yukino had made her stance perfectly clear that day. If Yuto wanted to maintain friendly relations with the Yukinoshita family, he had to show his sincerity. Maybe he had even gone as far as blocking Koga's usual connections from pulling strings on his behalf. "No matter how much you yell, it won't change anything," Haru said lightly. "Why don't we have a conversation instead?" Koga eyed him coldly. "And why the hell should I talk to you? You won't even take off your mask." Haru met his gaze directly. Slowly, deliberately, he said, "Because you hate being locked up by the cops. And at the same time, you resent me—a total stranger—being able to walk in and out of here so easily." For a brief moment, Koga's pupils dilated. His expression twisted into something vicious. "Yeah? So what if you're right?" Haru remained unfazed, his voice warm and sincere. "You've been stuck in this little room for days now. Doesn't it feel suffocating? Wouldn't it be nice to talk to someone—someone who will really listen? There's no need to hold anything back. Just tell me all your secrets." The officers watching from the surveillance room exchanged baffled glances. "Uh… Senior, is your friend actually just here to chat?" Several of them couldn't help but laugh. Even Officer Yuto felt a flicker of doubt, though his expression remained serious. "Just keep watching." Inside the interrogation room, Koga murmured, almost to himself, "Secrets… tell you?" Haru maintained eye contact, his tone gentle. "Yes. Keeping secrets is exhausting, isn't it? It wears you down. But if you share them, if you have someone to listen… the burden becomes lighter." He paused for a second, letting the words settle. Then, leaning in slightly, he spoke with quiet conviction. "Most importantly, you can relax now. You can trust me. There's no need to hide anything." "You… I can trust you…" Koga's voice had dropped to a whisper—so faint that even Haru barely heard it. But he did see the notification pop up in his system. [You are currently inducing hypnosis. (Hypnosis) EXP +459] That's… a lot of experience. Haru felt a flicker of admiration. Is he about to spill everything? "…Is he a psychiatrist?" The officers in the surveillance room were now seriously considering the possibility. "I don't think even a professional could pull this off," another murmured. "Yeah, no matter how good they are, they wouldn't be able to crack a guy like this in just a few minutes." Haru's tone, his timing, even the way he looked at Koga—it all felt eerily like something out of a psychological drama. Officer Yuto remained silent, his face unreadable. Because he, too, had no idea what Haru was about to do. Back in the interrogation room, Koga suddenly let out a sharp, deranged laugh. "You're right. Some things fester inside too long, and they drive you crazy." Then, his voice quickened. "Those cops would never guess—so many of the girls in my clubs? I forced them into it. Trapped them, tricked them, made them sell their bodies. And the ones who resisted? I broke them. I even kept recordings. They're all hidden at my place. I love seeing their terrified faces." Dead silence. In the surveillance room, the officers were frozen in shock. Haru nodded. His voice remained calm. "Anything else?" Koga grinned. "I killed someone, back when I was still in the gang. The cops only caught my underlings—they never found proof that I did it. No way they'd ever figure out that the murder weapon? It's been sitting in my sister's safe this whole time." More silence. Then—bam! Ofiicer Yuto clenched his fist, barely suppressing his excitement. Haru , you just handed us a goldmine. "Thanks for cooperating," Haru said, standing up. "I should head home." "Sure, sure. Just make sure you come back soon," Koga said, even waving goodbye. "I don't know why, but talking to you makes me feel at ease." Haru left the room to find a group of stunned police officers waiting for him. "How the hell did you do that?" "Are all psychiatrist this powerful now?" "You're a goddamn superhero!" Haru smiled politely, deflecting their questions. Once they rushed off to gather evidence, Officer Yuto turned to him, barely containing his enthusiasm. "I don't know how you did it, but… thank you." "I was just chatting," Haru replied, waving a hand dismissively. Yuto blinked, then chuckled. "Right. Just a chat." He understood the unspoken message. When the police made their official announcement, they'd make sure to keep Haru's involvement off the record. Just then, a young officer approached. "Officer Yuto, Koga's lawyer is here again. Should we come up with another excuse to keep him out?" "No need. Let him see Koga." As the officer left, Officer Yuto turned to Haru with a smile. "Want to stick around and watch?" "I love watching drama unfold." Haru accepted without hesitation. Under their watchful eyes, a sharply dressed lawyer stepped into the interrogation room. He flipped through the neatly arranged documents in his hands as he spoke. "Koga-san, based on the information I've gathered, you'll likely be detained for a while due to the armed brawl incident." Then, in a reassuring tone, he added, "But don't worry. The punishment for this kind of case isn't too severe, and—" "Enough, you don't need to say anything more." Still under the lingering effects of hypnosis, Koga waved his hand impatiently, cutting the lawyer off mid-sentence. The lawyer looked up, startled, only to see Koga smiling as he said, "I've already confessed all my crimes to my new friend. I even told him where to find the evidence. I feel so much lighter now." The lawyer: "…What?" ——— Over the next few days, the police gradually released details about the "Hooded Hero" and his fight against crime. When the public learned that the man arrested was actually a murderer, the story went viral again. Soon, livestreams across the internet were flooded with countless people cosplaying as the "Hooded Hero." Some quick-thinking streamers even teamed up with friends to put on dramatic performances, reenacting the "Hooded Hero's fight for justice." It was like watching a low-budget live-action Ultraman fight in a livestream. Today was the Tanabata Festiva. At lunchtime, Haru and Yukino sat together in the cafeteria as usual. Yukino still felt a lingering sense of regret for not being able to accompany him to the police station that night. Shortly after that night, the police publicly announced the full details of the case and declared it officially solved. She immediately guessed that Haru must have played a role in it. "You're telling me that Koga confessed after just one conversation with you?" "That's right." "Since when were you a master of persuasion?" "Actually, I've studied hypnosis." "Oh really? I don't believe you." Yukino clearly took his words as a joke. Though she was curious, she knew better than to press him for details about a case involving murder. Instead, she quickly changed the topic. "My sister called me back home the other day. She said there's a family gathering at the end of the month, and we both have to attend. Oh, and she also gave me a bunch of baseball stadium vouchers." "Vouchers? For a baseball stadium?" Haru was confused. If Haruno was trying to help Yukino get closer to him, shouldn't she have given her movie tickets instead? "Apparently, her classmate's older brother just opened a new baseball stadium, so she got the vouchers from him." "…That explanation is oddly convincing." Hearing Haru's dry remark, Yukino couldn't help but smile. "I had the exact same reaction when she told me." "I was hoping for some juicy gossip, but I guess there's nothing exciting here," Haru said, sounding disappointed. After finishing her meal, Yukino looked at him with gentle eyes. "So, when are we going to the baseball stadium?" "You know how to play baseball?" Haru shot her a skeptical look. "That's a stupid question." "Hey, no need for personal attacks." Yukino ignored his complaints, flashing a proud smile at her boyfriend. "First of all, baseball is the most popular sport here. Second, haven't you always said I'm a walking encyclopedia?" She straightened her posture, puffing out her flat chest with unshakable confidence. "I see. Still, a Tanabata Festival date at a baseball stadium feels… weird." "No need to decide now. We have time." "Fair point." Thanks to his training, Haru ate far more than Yukino. As he continued his meal, Yukino sat quietly beside him, watching. If not for the constant chatter of their classmates around them, she would have found the moment perfectly peaceful. Of course, on a day as significant as Tanabata, silence was impossible. Even students uninterested in romance were buzzing about the festival events in their favorite games. Others were busy making plans. "Kumiko, do you have a date tonight?" "Sigh, I got rejected." "What? Oh well, no worries! As your friend, I won't let you spend Tanabata alone!" Yukino overheard the conversation between two passing girls, her expression shifting slightly as if lost in thought. Haru noticed. "What's on your mind?" She glanced at the two girls before speaking softly. "I just thought of Kato." Haru blinked, not following her train of thought. Resting her chin on her hand, Yukino murmured, "Her presence has always felt… strange to me. But if I had to explain it scientifically, it's not impossible." "So, you want to study Kato?" Haru asked. She shook her head. "I mean, doesn't her unremarkable presence suggest she's always been alone? Even in the photography club, she's often by herself." Just like Yukino had been—before she met Haru. Haru was taken aback. He had never considered that before. After a brief pause, he chuckled. "This hidden side of you, Yukino—it's really cute." A faint blush spread across her cheeks, but she didn't refute him. "You look even cuter like this." "…Just finish your food." "No comeback? Do you not like the compliment?" "I want to hit you." "Now I understand! Simida!" {T/N: This suffix often used if you are talking to elders or someone who is superior} "Are you showing off your terrible Korean to me?" — After school, Haru headed toward the karate club for sparring. Along the way, he ran into Utaha. Her tall, curvaceous figure stood by the roadside, her gaze fixed in his direction—clearly waiting for someone. Haru recalled her confession that night, as well as the effort and changes she had made since then. He sighed inwardly but kept his tone light. "Let me guess, you're waiting for me?" "At least you're self-aware about your narcissism," she replied with a small smile, playing along with his joke. "So, what's up?" "My mother wants to invite you to dinner." She clasped her hands behind her back, her charming smile both elegant and playful. Haru immediately understood. "Because of what happened that night?" "Mhm. They still think they misunderstood you, so they feel guilty. And since I'm in the photography club, seeing me come home every day reminds them of the embarrassment of confronting you that night." Utaha explained calmly, her tone measured. Haru wasn't particularly concerned. "There's really no need for them to treat me to dinner. If they ever found out I was bluffing that night, we'd both be in trouble." So, he's rejecting me—just in a roundabout way. Utaha had already expected this response. Before she even conveyed her mother's invitation, she had anticipated his reaction. He was using the excuse of "getting caught" to turn her down. She chuckled softly. "You can invite Yukino too." Haru froze, momentarily thinking he had misheard her. Utaha gave him an odd look. "If you're worried I'll tell Yukino about my confession and cause her misunderstand, then you can rest assured." Holding his surprised gaze, she said in a quiet voice, "Liking you… is my own business." Haru fell silent, momentarily unsure how to respond. She turned away, glancing at the students sneaking glances at them. Standing tall, her slender waist and long, shapely legs exuded confidence. "Amamiya-kun, I'm working hard too." Her voice was barely above a whisper. A weight settled on Haru's heart. Back when he first noticed her growing feelings for him, he had felt the weight of her emotions. And now, that feeling returned. Looking at the girl struggling to hide her nervousness, Haru exhaled. "I'll tell Yukino, but if she doesn't want to go, I'll stay with her." Utaha nodded. "After all, today is Tanabata." Her voice grew quieter and quieter—until it was barely audible. — That evening, Haru sparred with his senior in karate club, releasing his pent-up emotions through combat. Without hesitation, Haru headed straight for the karate club. His presence, his actions, and the words he had once spoken had stirred something within her, pushing her toward change. Compared to the proud girl who once struggled to see reality clearly, she had come a long way. And perhaps because of that, a complicated feeling settled in Haru's heart. He needed a fight to clear his mind. … "Did you take something today? You're way stronger than usual! For a second there, I thought I was fighting a damn Saiyan!" Dressed in full protective gear, senior Oyama was sent flying once again. Sitting up in a daze, he shot Haru a helpless glare. "My bad," Haru said, sincerely apologetic. "Eh, no need to apologize. I just wasn't mentally prepared. Let's go again… But tone it down a little, alright? If you keep sending me flying with one punch, I'll lose all my dignity as a senior!" "Got it. Though… how does it feel to fly?" "Huh? Actually… kinda fun." "…" Later, when Haru arrived at the photography club, he found everyone hard at work. Grabbing some paper and a pen, he quickly scribbled down Utaha's invitation and passed it to Yukino. She barely hesitated for a second before a proud, knowing smile curled on her lips. "I'm coming with you," she declared. Then, with a meaningful glance, she looked straight at Haru.